The Trick Who Wouldn't Quit
by Emma Morgan
Summary: AU - What if Shelby never gave up "her ways"...? NO FLUFF! JUST GOOD STUFF! (rhymes!) You are entitled to your opinion, so flames are welcome! Read the AN and all will be understood! P.S. R/R! :)
1. Default Chapter

Authors' Note and Disclaimers : First, first off, "we" is Jueee and Emma Morgan. Just so you know that it's a collaborated effort.

First off, this is completely Alternate Universe and all our shit, except from the very basic plot outlines that we base on Queer As Folk. To anyone who watches it, you'll know what we're talking about (review and let us know, and we'll love you forever!!!) 

Right now, we're going to acknowledge QAF, and say here and now (this counts for the rest of the story) that we don't own it, the storyline, the characters, or any of it's affiliates. 

And, as for QAF (this counts for the whole story), we don't own Higher Ground, the characters, their backgrounds, the settings, and so on. 

Oh, and some of you might notice this: we've taken some ideas from Moulin Rouge. We also acknowledge that we don't own it, the characters, the settings, and so on. 

We'll warn you now, there will be no fluff. It will be a deep plot with deep characters, and of course, deep conversations… thus no fluff! So, don't expect it, don't ask for it, we're not writing it! If you want shameless fluff, check out Perfect Love in an Imperfect World, by Emma Morgan, and you shall receive liberal amounts of it. Don't confuse fluff with romance. This is, after all, a romantic story, just in a completely new way. 

Second, Shelby and Scott will not be how they are in the show. Don't expect anything old and cliché on that front. If you want that stuff, check above story. Please read before you actually judge them. Go in with an open mind, and forget all you know about the characters from the show. Everything will be re-explained so you don't even have to have watched the show to get what's going on. 

Last Thing, there is some more adult content in this. Nothing too bad…but let's say we don't hold back or sugar-coat things. Just consider yourself warned. 

But don't worry, it'll be good. We're just covering all the bases, you know? It'll be a great story though, we promise!

By the way, we worked on and off for twelve hours just now (after days of planning it). Just to let y'all know.

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Tristan: had him. Justin: had him. Toby: had him. Kris: had him. Scott… I won't lie, I tried. It was a couple of months ago, when he first came here. The minute I saw him, I knew I wanted him. I mean, who wouldn't. I immediately approached him, though he wasn't exactly approachable. He was like any newbie: shy and withdrawn, and there was a sadness in his eyes. But it was business as usual, and he was my next client.

The minute I started approaching him, he became uncomfortable as if he didn't know how to act. I delivered my usual lines. Tried, tested, and true. But instead of grinning seductively, his eyes turned down and he bit his bottom lip. He answered monosyllabically as though he were acting like he didn't catch onto my innuendoes. I put my hand on his arm, and he majorly shrugged it off, and I never felt so rejected in my whole life.

I suddenly felt very dirty and backed away, not wanting to offend him. I haven't talked to him since.

Oh, there are the Cliffhangers, my group of fellow inmates. Isn't it somewhat sad, that I'm so alone, that my only real family is a bunch of fellow psychologically disturbed teenagers.

Juliette, the ultimate princess, with her prince, Scott. Or at least, that's what she would like him to be: hers. But it's a big joke around the students that it'll never happen.

Then there's Auggie, the third party of the dysfunctional love triangle. See, he worships her highness who's too oblivious to pick up on it. Poor Auggie, I don't know what he sees in her, but I guess you can't account for people's tastes.

Oh, and there are Daisy and David, the happy couple. I'd hurl, but that would be a waste of perfectly good barf. But I shouldn't be mean, Daisy's a really cool person. I mean, she's my best friend if I were to have one. Despite her own romantically charged life, she supports my own less-than-romantic liaisons.

As for David, he's nothing more to me than the love of Daisy's life. Well, maybe more like the fuck of her life. God, I'm cynical! But hell, it's better than expecting every guy you meet to take you away on a white horse into the sunset. I mean, love is just something people tell themselves there in to get laid. If you ask me, it's better to just skip the love crap and get straight to the fucking. 

Whatever, I respect Daisy's beliefs, and she respects mine, that's why we get along so well. Unlike the other girls, who, if they found out, would run away disapproving, and consequently squeal. It's sad that, with all they've been through, they're still so naïve and judging, at the same time. Come to think of it, Daisy's never been judgemental. She found out about my past… actually, that's a pretty funny story.

Daisy and I were just talking one day. Suddenly, she came out of the blue and said, "you're one fifty dollar bill away from being a hooker." Of course I knew that it was usually much more than 50 bucks, and I told her so. She immediately questioned my knowledge of the trade. I tried avoiding her questioning by shrugging it off with references to early desensitization, but she didn't buy it. I guess it was due to the shifting of my eyes and the biting of my lower lip. Eventually she got the truth out of me: that I'd sold myself on the street for food and drugs for a year. She was surprisingly nonchalant about the whole thing, and I liked that. She made it feel like maybe it _wasn't_ such a big deal. 

But then she questioned why I had ran, and this information I was not so willing to divulge. At this she threatened to use "the cards". I laughed at this. She then challengingly took out her tarot cards, set them up and then hummed and hawed over them ominously. she suddenly looked up at me and said solemnly, "you were sexually abused by a father figure and ran away." By the look on my face, she could obviously see that I was shocked at her accuracy. " I was right?" she exclaimed incredulously. "Shit! I was just guessing!" she then held up a card: "The World". I knew enough about the cards to know just how irrelevant it was. I cringed at what she might have said, but she just shrugged and said, "oh, gotcha." Nothing more was said until I brought it up later. I never told anyone else.

* Third Person POV *

Waking out of her reverie, Shelby ambled over to where Daisy was waiting in line for lunch. They picked it up and headed over to an available table near the other Cliffhangers. Once they were settled in, Daisy turned to her with a questioning look on her face.

"So, who was it this time?" she asked amusedly.

"Fred, very hot, nice treasure trail, oh and he had the biggest--"

"I'm eating," she cut in, putting up her hand, silencing Shelby.

"Suit yourself, but a few tips wouldn't hurt…" she started, sitting back in her chair, looking at Daisy as if she were beginning a speech.

"We are fine, thank you very much," Daisy said.

"I don't want to know, _I'm _eating," she said sarcastically. Just then, Peter blew into the cafeteria, looking very official, with his target in sight, making everyone hope they weren't that target. He came upon Scott, and all the students let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Can I see you in my office?" he asked, patting him on the shoulder. Scott just shrugged and followed him. 

Once he was in the office, he sat down at one of the chairs and silently listened as Peter told him his parents were coming.

"What?" Scott exploded angrily. He immediately checked himself when he saw the shock on Peter's face. "Oh, I mean, she's not my parent, she's my step-mother," he said, perturbed.

"Okay, they'll be down for dinner time."

"You mean today?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"Whatever," Scott replied, walking out.

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* Scott's POV *

Oh. My. God. Can you say night from hell? I had thought it was going to be bad, but that was beyond what I expected. I mean, the nerve of Elaine! With the obvious innuendoes…who couldn't pick up on them? Oh right, my own dad and her husband. God, he was a oblivious. Pretending like it never happened, and then harping on me for god knows what. I tuned out after awhile, something to do with Football. He was usually more obsessed than I was. Didn't he ever realize how what he said affected me? I'm in a school for emotionally disturbed kids, and he has the gall to badger me about Football? While Elaine's practically hitting on me? God, that's dysfunctional in it's highest form. 

His words keep playing over and over in my head. God, where are drugs when you need them? I need some mindless distraction. Unfortunately, Horizon's specialty is not that. It's a touchy-feely _lets talk about it_ kind of place, and that's the last thing I need. 

Maybe I'll just head back to my room. The last thing I want is to do is talk to someone. Shit! I just bumped into someone…Shelby. Wait, Shelby? Speaking of mindless distraction…

Suddenly a light bulb went off in my head and I go to stop her walking away.

"Hey, are you busy?" I ask directly.

Suddenly her face changes from frustrated to seductive. She knows what I'm after.


	2. Mindless Entertainment

Suddenly a light bulb went off in my head and I go to stop her walking away.

"Are you busy?" I ask directly.

Suddenly her face changes from frustrated to seductive. She knows what I'm after.

*Shelby's POV*

"Busy?" I ask, almost trying to get my head around what he's asking me. "Not for you," I say, my face lighting up at the prospect of finally getting what I want.

"Cause you know, you're new around here and all… I could show you around," he says, mimicking the lines I used on him. I racked my brain to remember that brief conversation when it suddenly struck me.

"Well, I've seen everything around here," I point out.

His voice drops. "Not everything."

Next thing I know, I'm leading him to the cabin. It worked out well that I snuck out after bed checks (as always) and that he returned from dinner past lights out. I would think it was fate if believed in it. I pull out my ever-present key from a chain around my neck and open the door. I choose to ignore the intrigued expression on his face.

The second the door closes, his hands are all over me. It doesn't bother me. Right off the bat, he starts majorly making out with me. Wow, he's a good kisser!

We moved over to the bed, and things progressed naturally.

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__

Creak

Shit! Why did this cabin have to be made out of wood? Right, cabin… gotcha. Good, he didn't move. He has to be asleep by now, it's been half an hour that he hasn't moved.

I creep open the door…s…l…o…w…l…y… and hear a noise. It must be the door. Wait, there it goes again.

I turn around to find him violently, disturbingly tossing and turning, his hands flailing in front of his face. What. The. Fuck. I stare transfixed for a couple of seconds when suddenly the audio was added.

"Get off, slut! Get out!" Shit. He's obviously having a nightmare, and it obviously has something to do with his past. God! Why does everyone here have to be so fucked up?

I run over to him and start shaking him. "Scott! Wake up! Scott!" I practically yell. If Peter's anywhere on the premises, he will hear us.

"Elaine!" he screams, his eyes flying open. He's now looking dazedly, trying to wake up properly.

"No, Shelby," I say enunciating slowly.

"Shelby?" he asks, still drowsy. "Shelby!" he states, waking up fully and taking in his surroundings.

"Yes… uh, who's Elaine?" I ask, sitting down on the bed as he sits up.

"No one," he says, shaking the dream out of his head. "No one," he repeats.

"Wow, for no one, she sounded like a pretty big slut," I say, shrugging.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you said it in your sleep."

"Said? What else did I say?" he asks, getting scared.

"Oh, pretty much everything. By the way, that sucks."

"Okay, you don't understand! It wasn't my fault, I didn't do it. She's my step-mom… I didn't want to do it."

"Your step-mom? Shit!" I say, the situation dawning on me.

"You said you knew," he says, getting angry.

"I lied," I reply. "Wow, I had no idea."

"Yeah, you have no idea," he says, really angry now. I bitterly laugh at that. "What's that supposed to mean?" Oh, shit, he's getting close. I avert my eyes. "What, were you abused by your step-mom?" he jokes.

"I gotta go," I say, getting up.

"What? Your step-dad?" he asks, suddenly sounding concerned. I pause for a second while gathering all my stuff, but then continue. "I'm right aren't I?" I reach for the door. "Shit, I thought I had it bad."

"You really have no idea," I say amusedly. What an understatement.

He sits down cross-legged on the bed, and looks up at me inquisitively. "What does _that_ mean?"

"Nothing," I say quickly. 

"O-kay, about as much as Elaine is no one, huh?"

"Let's just say I have an Elaine. In the form of..._Walt_."

"Walt?"

"Step-dad," I don't know why I 'm telling him this, but I can't seem to stop myself. I guess it's true what they say, it's feels good to get if off your chest. And he just seems so...cool about it, like he's not shocked. 

"Hmmm." He looks like he's thinking hard. "What did you do?" 

"What do you mean, what did I do? I came here, duh!" 

"Oh," he looks embarrassed. I feel bad, lying through my teeth like that, and making him think that he asked a dumb question when he really assumed the right thing. It's weird - I actually kind of want to tell him the truth. I need to tell someone, right?

"Actually…" I sit down on the bed across from him. "I kinda made a pit stop before coming here."

"Really?" He raises his eyebrows at me. "Where?"

"Um...the streets," I said in a small voice.

"What business did you have there?" he said playfully.

"Well, I dabbled in a few things….panhandling…some drug-usage….and….some selling of services." As the last words come out of my mouth, I'm afraid to look him in the eye. 

"Services? Do you mean -?"

"Yah."

"Oh." Oh? Is that all he has to say? Oh?

"So yah…I better go…" but this time, I don't want to go.

"I suppose panhandling doesn't get you very far, does it? I mean, if you need to survive…"

"Yah, no, it doesn't." Wait, how did he know that? Does he actually understand? This is trippy. Suddenly I feel a yawn escaping me, and his eyes suddenly turned into concerned slits.

"Tired?" I shake my head, but he raises his eyebrows at me disbelievingly. "You know, we are sitting on a bed, so…" he says, hinting at sleep. I lie down on the bed, and suddenly feel my eyelids get heavy. I close my eyes, and feel the bed sink beside me. Next thing I know, I'm drifting off…

****************************************************************************************************************

As the sun rose, and the birds started twittering, Juliette's eyes fluttered open. Ah, a new day, she thought as she got up and went for a walk to clear her mind. I hate that my mom lives in my head, she thought. Juliette always enjoyed early morning walks when no one was around and ground were still clean.

As she was walking along the edge of the forest, it started to rain heavily. Actually, it was more like a downpour. She looked around frantically for shelter, and saw the cabin, a short distance away. She ran to it, and opened the door to get in.

Her eyes flew open in shock at the sight before her. There lay Scott and Shelby, together. Scott's arms laying protectively around Shelby, and her head comfortably snuggled into his chest.

Juliette could not believe it. What the hell was going on? Racking her brains, she couldn't come up with a time in which she'd seen them even speak. Now they were….were….Juliette didn't want to think about what they may have been doing. She just backed away quickly and quietly and ran back to the dorms, confronting the rain.

*Shelby's POV*

Where am I? This isn't the dorm… who's arm is this? I can't have…no! I didn't stay here, did I? Did I? Holy fuck-amoly. Why did I do this? Now he's gonna get ideas… well, I sure get myself into fun situations. Oh. My. god! It's all coming back to me now. I told him my past… he told me his… he knows. He knows! Why????? Why did I do that?

Whatever, I've gotta go. It's morning, Sophie will be coming to wake us up soon. It will not be cool if she can tell I wasn't out running. I've gotta get out of here.

"Shelby," I hear him call my name as I leave the cabin. I turn around and he's standing there, outside the cabin, in his boxers.

"Shit! What are you doing? Get back inside and put some clothes on!" I say, completely surprised that he would actually leave the cabin like that.

"Come back in, I need to talk to you." I sigh. Whatever, probably something about keeping his secret. As if he needs to tell me that. I follow him back in the cabin.

"What's there to say?"

"Apart from the obvious --"

"Don't worry, I won't tell your story," I reply, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, thanks. It's just, I feel like, I dunno, we understand each other - maybe we could -"

"I don't do boyfriends, Scott,"

"Right, right - why again?" he says the last two words confusedly.

"Look, I'm not really in the right place right now…"

"Shel, I know you're past, I think the least you could do is continue to be honest with me."

I hesitate. How'd he do that? "Fine." I breathe. "After all the crap I've been through, I don't wanna….put my…well-being in the hands of a guy. I don't trust them, and I don't believe it ever ends well, so what's the point?" I can see he doesn't know what to say to this, and he looks hurt. "Scott, you're really nice, a good guy. And someday you'll find someone and make them happy - but it's not me." 

"Why can't I make _you_ happy?"

"Scott, I don't really think I can be happy." I didn't mean it to come out so eloquent, and suddenly I have the urge to ball my eyes out. I have to get out of here. I turn around, and leave the cabin.

****************************************************************************************************************

Juliette sat in the corner of the caf, watching as her fellow students entered. Daisy, David, Auggie…no Scot yet. Or Shelby. Her mind raced as the possibilities to explain their absences popped up - some were more graphic than others, and all made Juliette's skin crawl. 

Suddenly, Scott. Alone. _Thank God_, she thought. But something was off; he looked dejected, forlorn - not that he was a regular ray of sunshine all the time, but there was something…active about his expression, like there was something more immediate behind it.

She approached him on his way to the lunch line, and steered him away from the greedy student eyes to properly interrogate him.

"So, Funny story," she started, not letting him get in a word edge-wise. "So I go for a walk this morning, and it starts raining, so I duck into the cabin, and guess what I saw?"

"Shit," he muttered.

"You and that…slut in - I can't even say it - bed - _together_."

"Ok, Jules - "

"Scott, do you have something to tell me?" she cut him off.

"Okay, breathe Jules. It's not a big deal."

At this she exploded. "_Not a big deal_? How can it not be? I didn't even know you knew her!"

"I didn't."

"WHAT!!!!!" She took in a breath, calming herself so as to not have an aneurysm. "Okay, Scott, please explain to me so that I can actually understand. Did you _fall_ into bed with her?" 

"Not exactly. Um…we kinda, did it."

"Well, that explains a lot. Okay, let's move on - why…the fuck?"

"Jules, don't swear! You _don't_ swear!"

"That's so off-topic I'm not even gonna respond to it! Why did you sleep with her?"

"Well…you know how my dad and Elaine came last night?" She nodded. "Well, it was about ten times worse than you'd think, and I was in major need of some…mindless entertainment."

"Well, she is pretty mindless." Juliette said quietly, not able to decide what to respond to first.

Scott responded. "Jules, don't look so shocked. It's not a big deal, I swear. Just forget it, ok?" To himself, "_I_ have to."

"Ok, I guess. Well, breakfast, anyone?" she said happily, but with an undertone of malice that startled Scott. He obeyed, thankful the awkward conversation was over.

****************************************************************************************************************

Shelby and Daisy sat at another side of the caf, having a conversation parallel to Scott and Jules. 

Daisy raised an eyebrow at her smirking companion. "Scott, huh? Didn't think he was the type." 

Shelby's smirk turned to a full-fledged grin. "He's not. _That's_ the point."

"Oh, my mistake. SO, how was he?"

" Dais! A lady does not kiss and tell."

"Exactly, that's why I thought I'd get _all_ the details!"

"Oh, that's harsh. You've positively _wounded_ me." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, while Daisy's face smiled.

"I bet. Now, about this kissing and telling…"

"I don't think so…"

"Why not?" Daisy didn't really care about the details, she was more curious about the secretiveness. 

"no reason. So, how's David?"

"Uninteresting. What aren't you telling me?" Daisy focused her eyes in on Shelby, making her squirm.

"It's more what he _did_ tell me." 

Daisy cocked an eyebrow. "You mean his 'story'?" she nodded. "Wow. Um, no offense or anything, but that's not exactly your usual practice is it? Screwing then sharing?"

"Clever. And no. Things didn't really follow the...beaten path. I even stayed all night! In his arms!"

"Shit! That's so - "

"Cute?" Shelby said sharply.

"I was gonna say out of character." Daisy eyes flit up to the sky, lit up, and settled back on Shelby. "You know, I predict you two will fall madly in love." she said wistfully.

"_Excuse me_?" she growled. "That's not funny! Why would you say something like that?" Daisy was taken aback by her severely forthright tone.

"Well, all other precedents are being broken," she quipped. Pointedly, she said, "Why do you even care?"

"I don't!" Daisy thought she saw a faint blush, but it was gone before it could register. "Anyways…"


End file.
